The Oval Engravings of Nabara 2 (Ennedi, Chad)

摘要

By revisiting the Nabara 2 shelter in the southern Ennedi (Chad), some previously unreported paintings and a whole set of unexpected oval engravings were surveyed. These engravings, internally decorated with patterns of lines, some featured by a single longitudinal element or a sort of reticular structure, make Nabara 2 an unparalleled site among the hundreds known in the region. Comparison with similar motifs associated to human depictions found at the western termination of the Ennedi Highland suggests these engravings could be depictions of shields, attributable to the pastoral period.